Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) are common and well-known pieces of office equipment and can be found in most, if not all, offices and libraries, and even in many homes. These devices can offer the ability to print, scan, fax, and otherwise process documents in a wide variety of formats. While useful and convenient, these devices also create an avenue through which sensitive, private, or other controlled information can be compromised. For example, a user might print a document that includes financial information for a company that is considered to be confidential. Once printed, especially if the user printing the document does not retrieve it from the MFP quickly, this document and the information therein can be obtained by other users who may not be authorized to have that information. Similarly, a user may scan a document containing private information such as a social security number, bank account or credit card numbers, healthcare information, etc. Once scanning into electronic form, this document and the information is at risk of being copied and distributed to persons who should not have access to this information and who may misuse it, for example, to commit identity theft etc.
In other cases, documents being printed or scanned may be in a format that, while convenient to read in one form, are wasteful or inefficiently uses the space consumed by that content. For example, a document in electronic form may be formatted to present in a slideshow or on a webpage where widely spaced content is easier to read. However, when printed, this format contains significant amounts of blank space which is wasteful of paper. Hence, there is a need for improved methods and systems for conveniently detecting content in a printed or scanned document and dynamically formatting that content to control the information therein.